Low cost microprocessors and electronics have enabled the increased granularity of control systems in lighting and energy management controls. Whereas lighting systems have utilized a central panel with breaker or relay controls to switch or dim a circuit of lighting, today's systems are incorporating smart, solid state lighting fixtures, sensors, keypads, and a plethora of other devices. As systems have moved from a centralized control methodology, to an addressable topology, the number of devices in a system as increased dramatically. In large systems, as many as 30,000 digital, addressable devices may be present in one building's lighting or energy management system.
In order to properly program these systems, a commissioning agent must first “address” or associate the digital address to the physical location of these devices. This can be done via a visual/optical method, such as flashing an LED or the light fixture to signify a particular digital address corresponds with a certain device in a particular location. This can also be completed by a physical method of pushing a button on the device or reading an RF ID tag out of the device and associating that signal with a map of the floor plan. In all of these circumstances, this commissioning process can be time consuming and complicated.